Litdwig mond



' UNITED STATES P T T, OFFICE.

LUDWIG MoND, OF LONDO PROCESS OF OBTAlNl- NG ME S PECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent l lo GLAND;

sgaaae t aq ne 3 ,1891.

Application filed November 11, 1890. Serial No. 97,. (Specimena) 1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUDWIG-MOND,a- Sl1b-- ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Winnington Hall, Northwich, London, county of Chester, En land, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in the Process of Obtaining. Metallic Nickel, of which the following is'a specification.

This invention has for its object improve.- ments in obtaining metallic nickel from nickel ores or other substances containing nickel, such as its'oxides and salts or mixtures of these with other oxides, salts, or impurities, or from impure metallic nickel. In treating ores which contain the nickel in combination with sulphur or arsenic. or other elements .of the same nature these ores have first to be treated so as to convert the nickel into oxide by the usual methods. After such treatment and in the-case of all other ores or substances which contain the nickel in the form of an oxide or salt-without such treatment, the oxide or salt is reduced to the metallic state in any convenient manner, such as by treating it with carbonic oxide or with hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon or a gaseous mixture containing these gases at a temperature of between 350 and 400 centigrade. In treating oxalates of nickel these may be heated by themselves to'the temperature required for their complete decomposition. In this manner the metallic nickel is obtained in a very finely-divided state, particularly suitable for the subsequent operations. Substances containing metallic nickel obtained by other methods should be finely comminuted before proceedin g with the extraction process hereinafter described. Any substance con very freely obtained at ordinary atmospheric comes lessenergetic.

temperature, but I prefer to work at about centigrade. p

The nickel carbon oxide is a colorless liquid of the composition N i 0 0,. It boils at 43 centi grade under ordinary atmospheric pressure and solidifies at 25. Its-specific gravity is 1.3185 at 17 centigrade. None of the impurities in the nickel or the oxide, not even the cobalt, are in the least acted upon .by the carbonic oxide, but remain behind after the .nickel has been volatilized. The treatment is preferably carried on in a chamber or cylinder revolving on a horizontal axis, or in one provided with a stirring or agitating device, whereby the pulverulent matter shall be freely and thoroughly exposed to the gas.

The mixture of the vapor of nickel carbon oxide, with-other.- gases so obtainedis now passed through tubes or vessels, in which it .is heated to about 180 centigrade, when the nickel carbon oxideis decomposed again into nickel and carbonic oxide. The nickel separates out in coherent metallic masses of great purity, more or less attached to the sides of the tubes or vessels in which the gas has been heated, and the carbonic oxide can be used over again to treat fresh masses of the reduced oxide. After some time the action of the finely-divided nickel upon carbonic .oxidesbe- It is then heated up to 350 to 400 centigrade in a current of carbonic oxide or hydrogen and cooled down again to I ordinary temperature, by which means its energy is restored In some cases it is preferable notto'decompose the nickel carbon oxide at the time of manufacture. In. such cases the gases containing it can be passed through refrigerating apparatus, if desired, under pressure, so as to hasten the condensation. bonoxide then separatesout as a liquid and can be bottled. The nickel can at any time be deposited from this liquid by heating the latter or its vapor.

I declare that what I claim is- 1'. The process of separating metallic nickel from other substances, which consists in reducing the ores of nickel with gaseous fuel at from 350 to 400 centigrade and treating the reduced ore at a temperature below 150 centigrade with carbonic oxide, thus obtaining nickel-carbon oxide, and then depositing the.

The nickel car-.

nickel from this compound by heatingit to' about 180 centigrade.

The process of separating metallic nickel from other substances, which consists in heating oxalate of nickel out of contact with air or in a reducing atmosphere till reduction takes place, then treating the reduced nickel at a temperature below 150 centigradewith carbonic oxide, thus obtaining nickel-carbon oxide, and then depositing the nickel from this compound by heating to about l80-centigrade.

3. The process of separating metallic nickel from any other solid substances, except such as alter in constitution at the temperature used, which consists in treating such materials-containing metallic nickel at a temperature below 150 centigl'ade, as described, with carbonic oxide, thus obtaining the nickel as a volatile compound, called nickel-carbon oxide, and then depositing the nickel from nickel-carbon oxide, which consists in heating the same to about 180" centigrade, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUDWIG MOND.

W'itnesses:

WM. P. THOMPSON, JOHN HAYES. 

